MEET
Our People
Board of Directors
Meet the AIDA Board
The role of the Board is to set the strategic direction of AIDA and agree on the focus areas of our policy, research and membership engagement. The Board comprises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical professionals and one Indigenous medical student. Their professional expertise and experience forms the work that we do as an organisation.
All Board Directors are elected from the membership to serve up to two years on the Board. The Student Director serves for one year.
Dr Jonathan Newchurch
BIO
My name is Jonathan Newchurch, I am an Indigenous man of Kaurna and Narungga. I was born on the Mika plains, now known as the suburb of Woodville.
Jonathan is a proud yaitya miyu (Indigenous man) of both Kaurna and Narungga heritage. His roots run into the heart of Kaurna Yarta (land), where he was raised in Tarntanyangga, known to many as Adelaide. His connection to this land and its traditions not only shapes his personal identity but greatly influences his professional journey in the medical field.
Jonathan holds a medical degree from Adelaide University. He went on to complete General Practice training, where his experiences took him across varied landscapes – from rural and remote clinics to the pivotal role in Aboriginal Medical Services. These diverse exposures enriched his perspective and solidified his commitment to providing holistic and culturally sensitive care.
Eager to expand his horizons further, he delved into training in GP Anaesthetics. The intricacies of this domain provided a fresh challenge and allowed me to refine his expertise. His thirst for knowledge then led him to the realm of Pain Medicine. Working in public and private pain clinics, he has witnessed the intricate relationship between physical pain and emotional well-being, fostering a deeper understanding and empathy towards those he serves.
Currently, he channels his experience and knowledge as a Medical Educator with the Joint College Training Services, and as a Principal Investigator in Clinical Trials.
Dr Olivia O'Donoghue
BIO
Dr Olivia O’Donoghue is a descendant of the Yankunytjatjara and Narungga Nations. She is a Fellow of the RACGP and currently lives and works on Kaurna Country.
Olivia has built a career that bridges medicine, education, and cultural advocacy. She has lived and worked across both urban and remote Northern Territory, including time in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services, and since 2014 has combined her clinical practice with her role as a Cultural and Medical Educator in general practice training. This included six years with Northern Territory General Practice Education (NTGPE).
Between 2019 and 2025, Olivia served as the lead Medical Educator for the Indigenous General Practice Trainee Network (IGPTN), a national initiative supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander GPs and RGs in training through mentorship, cultural connection, exam preparation and advocacy.
In 2020, Olivia became the first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Censor for the RACGP, representing the National Faculty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and contributing to the quality and fairness of education, training and assessment processes. In 2023, she took on the role of National Clinical Head of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Training, continuing her commitment to ensuring culturally safe and supportive pathways for future GPs and RGs.
Olivia also contributes at the national level through her work with the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA). She has previously served on the Board in 2009 and 2017, returning again in 2022, and was appointed President Elect at the 2024 AGM.
Outside of her professional life, Olivia enjoys travelling, camping, sewing, cooking, and spending time with her family and her much-loved dog.
Dr Natalie Pink
BIO
Dr Natalie Pink is a Nyikina woman with connections on her father’s side. She grew up on Kaurna land in SA and has been fortunate to live in multiple regions of Australia.
Her first career was as a paramedic before completing medical school with her younger sister at Flinders University, graduating in 2017.
Since completing medical school, Natalie has worked in Adelaide, Darwin and many rural and remote locations in SA. She has been involved in academic practice through Adelaide Uni and also an early career researcher.
Currently, Natalie is a Fellow of ACRRM with advanced specialised training in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. She works in the Cape York region in Far North Queensland as the lead senior medical officer for the Cape York Kidney Care team. This service provides kidney specific care to communities of the Western Cape.
Natalie as works as a medical educator for ACRRM and newly appointed the the lead medical educator role for IGPTN.
Natalie is passionate about advocating for the rural and remote communities, especially with appropriate health service delivery, food security and social safety. Her other passion is supporting medical students and rural generalist registrars throughout their training experiences.
Dr Alicia Veasey
BIO
Dr Alicia Veasey, a proud Torres Strait Islander woman who grew up on the mainland, is an Obstetrician & Gynaecologist with a subspeciality fellowship in Paediatric & Adolescent Gynaecology, with over twenty years experience working throughout the health system. She works clinically within Northern NSW LHD on Bundjalung Country, Lismore and surrounding area. Alicia is an inaugural co-chair of Queensland Health’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Clinical Network, where she provides leadership on systemic cultural safety and health system reform that centres Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s sovereignty and right to self-determination.
Recognising early on in her medical career the need for health system reform to address the racism and inequity, Alicia completed a Master of Public Health and a Master of Health Management and is a RACMA Associate Fellow since 2024. As a Global Atlantic Fellow through the prestigious Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity, she has also completed a Master of (Indigenous) Social Change Leadership, culminating in a dissertation exploring Indigenous knowledges and sovereignty within the acute care health system. Alicia’s commitment and leadership was recognised with a University of Queensland 2023 Alumni Award for Indigenous Community Impact.
As a passionate, experienced and sought-after health leader, Alicia provides input into local, state and national health policy, strategies and reform, as well as being a senior advisor to media, research projects and non-government organisations. She is currently a Board Director for the Australian Commission on Safety & Quality in Health Care, and Advisory Board member for the Australian Health Review journal. She has served as a non-executive Director for the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association in 2010-11 (Student Director) and 2012-14 before rejoining the Board in 2024.
Dr Annalyse Crane
BIO
Dr Crane is a Gamilaroi woman with family from Moree in NSW. She is a specialist GP, supervisor and practice owner in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire. Anna is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Sydney in 2011, and member of AIDA since 2008.
Her goal is to engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people into tertiary education and health careers. Education empowers people and changes lives. Sitting on the AIDA board is an opportunity to make a difference and work cohesively with peers and stakeholders.
Dr Robert Blackley
BIO
Dr Robert Blackley is a Bwgcolman man from Palm Island. He has over twenty years in public administration and public policy. He is a former Mayor of Palm Island and has worked as a Ministerial policy advisor and Community development leader.
Working as a paramedic reignited his passion for studying medicine and he graduated as a Doctor of Medicine with the Sydney Medical Program in 2019. After his initial medical training at Royal Darwin Hospital, he gained an AGPT position with the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) and moved to Sydney to do a year of sexual health and addiction medicine at the Kirketon Road Centre.
Dr Blackley has since returned home to Palm Island, where he now works as a Senior Medical Officer at the Joyce Palmer Health Service, while continuing his training with ACRRM.
He has been actively involved in men’s, youth and charity groups. He is committed to improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Dr Blackley returned to AIDA as a Board Director in 2024.
Dr Vinka Barunga
BIO
Dr Vinka Barunga is a Worrora woman from the Kimberley. Her Country runs along the north west coast of Western Australia and includes Walcott Inlet, Buccaneer Archipelago, Montgomery Reef and Prince Regent River. Her people are saltwater people, and along with Ngarinyin and Wunumbal language groups, they live in Mowanjum Community, and are united as custodians of Wandjina lore.
She was born and grew up in Mowanjum Aboriginal Community and the town of Derby. Growing up among her family and culture had a significant impact in shaping and inspiring her dreams – igniting her desire to help her people and pursue medicine.
Dr Andrew Gosbell
BIO
Andrew is an Advisor to the associations and charities sector. He provides advice, support and mentoring to boards, senior executives and professional teams of for-purpose organisations on governance, strategy, planning, advocacy and policy development, project management and funding opportunities.
Dr Gosbell’s previous executive roles involved more than 15 years in senior executive and CEO positions with medical colleges and peak associations. This included as the CEO of General Practice Registrars Australia and Executive Director of Policy & Research and Deputy CEO at the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine. Andrew is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has over a decade of governance experience on Boards and committees in the NFP and tertiary-education sectors.
Andrew is passionate about contributing to good governance as a powerful enabler for great organisations and is a committed ally of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
Mr Gari Watson
BIO
I am a proud Gurang Gurang, Biri Gubba, and Gangulu man. I am a qualified dentist with ten years of clinical experience, one of the earliest Indigenous graduates in dentistry from James Cook University, and now a third-year Doctor of Medicine student at The University of Queensland.
Becoming the third Indigenous dentist to graduate from JCU was both a privilege and a responsibility. Since then, I have worked across community health, remote services, and private practice, where I witnessed the resilience of our people alongside the structural barriers to accessing culturally safe and timely care. These experiences deepened my commitment to advocating for equity and representation.
I also acknowledge the leadership of our Elders and pioneer Indigenous medical doctors who paved the way for AIDA and for our presence in medicine. Their courage created the pathways students like myself now follow, and I carry that legacy with responsibility and pride.
I have served as President of the Indigenous Dental Association of Australia (IDAA), representing Indigenous voices nationally and working with peak stakeholders including AHPRA and universities, which strengthened my governance and advocacy skills. Earlier in my journey, I helped establish an Indigenous student network at JCU Cairns to provide belonging and peer support. These experiences taught me the importance of connection, mentorship, and cultural identity — lessons that continue to guide me in medicine.
Mr Brodie Seymour
BIO
Brodie is a final-year medical student at Griffith University and currently serves as the Student Director for the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA). He grew up on Kalkadoon Country in Mount Isa and is a proud Balarnu man. Staying connected to Country and learning how mob celebrate culture has always been central to who he is.
As he prepares for internship, he is deeply committed to rural and remote healthcare, with particular interests in oncology and ophthalmology. His goal is to use his medical training to improve health outcomes for Communities most in need, while continuing to uphold and celebrate the strength of First Nations knowledge, sovereignty and resilience.
Secretariat
AIDA Team
Behind AIDA is a team of people who bring a mix of experience, practical skills and a shared focus on making a real difference. From strategy through to delivery, each person plays a role in shaping outcomes that matter.
We’re a collaborative group that values clear thinking, accountability and a willingness to step in where needed. It’s not about titles, it’s about contribution and the impact we create together.
Dr Peter Malouf
BIO
Dr Peter Malouf is a proud Wakka Wakka and Wuli Wuli man from Central Queensland who has dedicated his career to improving Indigenous health and wellbeing across Australia. With a PhD in Public Health and Tropical Medicine from James Cook University and a Master of Public Health from the University of Queensland, he combines academic excellence with a deep commitment to community. Over the past 25 years, he has held senior leadership roles including CEO of the Townsville Aboriginal & Islander Health Service and Executive Director at the Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council of NSW.
Peter is passionate about culturally safe healthcare and Indigenous-led research, focusing on mental health, suicide prevention, and substance use. His work includes leading national trials, shaping pandemic responses for Aboriginal communities, and advocating for decolonized approaches in medical education. As CEO of the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association, he continues to champion cultural governance and strengthen engagement within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical community. His vision is grounded in collaboration, cultural strength, and a commitment to creating a healthier, more equitable future for all.
Paula Myott
Dr Danielle Arabena
BIO
Dr Danielle Arabena is a proud Torres Strait Islander medical practitioner and a descendant of the Meriam peoples of the Torres Strait. She has joined AIDA as the Cultural Safety Medical Educator.
Dr Danielle brings a wealth of knowledge, passion, and experience to her role at AIDA through her experience as a Senior Medical Educator and the National Clinical Lead for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Training at the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). She is also a former AIDA board member.
As a General Practitioner and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), Dr Arabena has a special interest in women’s health, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, and medical education. She is dedicated to embedding Indigenous knowledge systems into medical training and providing holistic, patient-centred care across all life stages, including menstruation, pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and menopause.
Stephanie May
Tania Sheward
Rachel Kurzyp
Beatriz Cantero
Kelly Kildea
Bianca Field
Simone Hurley
Bradley Davis
Samara Williams
Jordan Darney
Kenneth Ford
Chanelle Martin
Justine Law
Michael Amos